The US Deputy Defence Secretary Stephen Feinberg told lawmakers in a phone call this week that the Department of Defence (DoD) reportedly needs $80 billion to cover costs from the , along with some other non-war-related bills.
The Wall Street Journal on Friday reported the development, citing sources, which came on the heels of the lawmakers pressing Donald Trump’s administration to provide a detailed price tag for the war, which started in late February.
Additionally, the lawmakers are concerned that the has depleted Washington’s valuable that could be needed to confront threats elsewhere around the world.
Pentagon to run out of money?
The report suggests that Pentagon leaders have said they could start running out of money to carry out operations this summer unless Congress passes a new wartime spending bill. They have also cautioned that ongoing operations linked to the US-Iran war, combined with troop deployments at the US-Mexico border, may force the armed services to scale back training activities and other key programs.
According to a WSJ report published in May, the US Army is reportedly witnessing a shortfall between $2 billion and $6 billion, not just from the Iran war, but also from the extended deployment of the National Guard in Washington and on the border.
The US military faces increasing costs
The US military has been grappling with rising costs from several operations this year, including the Iran conflict, with the Pentagon predicting costs at $29 billion in mid-May, a figure that has likely risen since then. Additional costs have stemmed from the operation in that resulted in the capture of the country’s leader, as well as ongoing missions targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Reuters, citing a Pentagon official, in April said the US-Iran war has cost roughly $25 billion, which was the first official estimate of war costs. However, the full cost of the , which began in late February, has remained an open question on Capitol Hill. An initial $200 billion request for additional funding was previously met with sharp opposition from lawmakers.
Earlier in May, acting Comptroller Jay Hurst told lawmakers that the Iran war has cost the Pentagon roughly $29 billion, marking a $4 billion jump in figures in less than two weeks. According to the WSJ, that estimate included operational costs, munitions expenditures, and aircraft damaged or destroyed. However, it didn’t include damage caused to US facilities at its bases across the .
Pentagon confident in DoD’s plan?
Pentagon is reportedly confident in the plan that Feinberg has briefed lawmakers on in recent days, the report noted, and added that the money will go to ship operations, personnel pay and munitions, among other things. Further, sources told WSJ that the administration could submit a detailed additional funding proposal to Congress in the coming days. The package is expected to include additional resources for the Pentagon, along with funding for non-defence needs such as agricultural assistance and disaster recovery efforts.
Any additional request from the Pentagon would need to be approved by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget before it goes to Congress. The report stated that the Pentagon’s budget for the current fiscal year 2026 is approximately $1 trillion.
Lawmakers divided on $80 billion funding request
US lawmakers are divided on the Pentagon’s plan and have warned they will not vote to approve the additional funding unless Congress votes to approve military operations, as lawmakers did for the previous wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the first Gulf War. Donald Trump’s administration did not seek before commencing the Iran war, a move that Democrats termed illegal.
In the Senate, most legislation requires the support of at least 60 lawmakers to move forward, implying that Republicans would likely need support from at least some Democrats. However, Republican senators also have the option to use the budget reconciliation process, which permits certain fiscal measures to pass with a simple majority and bypass the 60-vote threshold. Some senior Republican members involved in budget negotiations have already opposed taking that route.
